The New Prospect
by Lauren315
Summary: Following her mentor's death, Marie's hopes of becoming a fully-fledged Assassin are seemingly diminished. However, when she has a chance encounter with Connor, her pursuit of those responsible for her mentor's death and preventing the goal of true freedom in the Colonies, the Templars, truly begins. (All characters other than my ocs belong to Ubisoft; rated M due to violence)
1. Chapter 1

The wind whispered through the trees around me as I tried to focus my aim at the target carved on the tree ahead. I readied my bow, took a deep breath, and focused. I released the arrow and watched it fire through the air, striking the bark a few centimetres wide of the cross. I cursed under my breath while reloading and was about to try again, only to be disrupted by the sound of disturbed trees behind me.

I noticed a robust figure free running through the trees with remarkable finesse. It was coming towards me.

As soon as he saw me, he stopped in his tracks and then jumped down to the forest floor. He stood tall, with tanned skin, and wore the typical Assassins' robes along with worn Mohawk trousers.

We stared at each other in silence for a moment, until I realised who he was.

"Haven't I seen you before?" I asked. "You knew my mother, didn't you? Élisabeth Hale?"

"Yes, I knew her," He replied. His voice was mellow, in complete contrast to his intimidating appearance. "You must be Marie-Charlotte,"

"Just call me Marie… and you are?"

"Connor,"

"Yes, that's right. I remember you visited my mother around a year ago."

He must have known that she died a few months ago, because he said, "I did. I had only spoken to her a few times, but she seemed a brave and compassionate woman, dedicated to the cause."

My mother left home on a mission days before she died. I was told she was killed when her group was ambushed by Templars. It was agonising to think about, so I tried not to as much as possible, but I still had countless nights where I would lie awake with horrible thoughts inevitably clawing at my mind. I nodded and smiled weakly before changing the subject.

"What are you doing here?" I said, putting my bow back over my shoulder.

"I have been sent to find some bandits who have stolen supplies from freed slaves. I seek to retrieve the supplies, otherwise they will starve."

"Would you like some help?"

"If you know how to fight, then I would be grateful for your assistance."

"Of course I do," I proved my point by lifting my right arm and revealing a hidden blade.

He raised his eyebrows in amazement. "Your mother told me that she had an apprentice, but I never realised it was her own daughter."

I smirked and went on. "Do you know where these bandits are?"

"A fire I saw nearby had only recently been extinguished. They must not be far from here."

After walking for a while, we came out to a path with fresh cart tracks. "We should follow these tracks. This road seems disused, so it's likely to be from them."

"Let's go, then."

* * *

><p>We eventually found the bandits gathered around a campfire, so we approached discreetly, using the dense woodland and darkness to our advantage, in the hope of ambushing them.<p>

I didn't intend to stay in the forest this long. I knew Father would be furious at me for being out this late. Ever since Mother died, Father suddenly changed his opinion of my aspiration of becoming an Assassin, claiming that I'll just end up suffering the same fate as she did. I know he was just trying to protect me, but at the same time he was depriving me of the only path that gave me true purpose.

A nudge on my shoulder from Connor brought me back to the task at hand. With his russet eyes he indicated the convoy parked at the far end of the camp, and then whispered "We need to protect the convoy at all costs. The supplies are in there."

I nodded.

"You stay here while I take position over there," he pointed at the far end of the camp. "Attack as soon as you see me do so."

"Okay."

I waited, but not for long. Connor leapt out from the darkness, simultaneously stabbing two men from behind. I immediately shot one down while the others swarmed him, managing to pick off another before the remaining four noticed my presence. Two of them rushed towards me, giving me just enough time to sling my bow over my shoulder and engage my hidden blades. The man that reached me first messily attempted to launch at me with his dagger, which I countered fluently with my left blade and instantly drove the other into his chest. Then came a swing of an axe from the left that I leaped back to evade before I charged forward, kicking the stocky man in the crotch at the same time as tearing the axe from his grip and throwing it to the ground, finishing him off with a cut to his throat.

I looked to the far end of the camp to see that Connor had already ran through the rest.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he caught my gaze.

"I'm fine." I said, but I was honestly shaken from the fight. I had never taken on so many men before, and I was surprised how well I managed to hold my own through it.

"You have remarkable skill, especially when it comes to archery. Did your mother teach you to shoot like that?"

"Yes, she did. That and using hidden blades are the only disciplines I'm any good at though. She made me wait until I was old enough to make my own choice on what to do with my life, so I only began training about a year ago."

"You made your own choice to start training?"

"Yes, it was a simple choice to me. After the British were defeated, it soon became clear that freedom and liberty only applied to white men with wealth. It made me determined to fight for everyone else whose rights were denied."

"I agree entirely. You would make a great addition to the Brotherhood."

"I wish I could be," I sighed. "But I don't know of anyone who could help me complete my training…"

"Which is why I will help you… if that is what you want, of course."

I looked at him in pure disbelief. _One of the most notable Assassins of the century offering to train me? I must be dreaming._ "R-really?" I managed to utter.

"Of course! You have proved yourself more than capable."

"I… don't know what to say. Thank you!"

He gave me a slight grin and said, "We should get this cargo back to the camp. I will tell you more on the way."


	2. Chapter 2

The next few months were spent training intensively, learning how to use weapons including swords, hatchets, and pistols as well as acquiring the skills of free running and stealth. The average day would consist of arriving at the Homestead early in the morning and going free running through the woods, followed by weapons practice before a brief rest. The afternoon would consist of studying and then further weapons practice, so I would usually return home completely exhausted in the evening. Unsurprisingly, my father became increasingly suspicious of my activities, especially when on numerous occasions I returned home covered in cuts and bruises.

It was a crisp autumn morning when I arrived at the Manor to find Connor in the study, thoroughly examining a tattered old map sprawled across the table.

"What is that map for?" I asked.

Connor looked at me blankly for a moment, as if I had interrupted a deep thought. "Boston. We are going there today."

"Boston? Why?"

"I need you to help me with something." He folded the map and stashed it in his pocket. "Get ready. We will be leaving soon."

* * *

><p>The main streets of Boston were vast and buoyant, teeming with all kinds of people from beggars to merchants. Rats scuttled beneath my feet, and dogs wandered past, scavenging anything edible dropped on the ground. I admittedly wasn't used to the hectic atmosphere of towns, having been brought up in a small village. This was my first time in Boston, and I found myself mesmerised by the huge buildings that towered above the rest, tall and proud. The smell of the sea along with the cackling of seagulls above intrigued me, although the potent stench of fish wasn't particularly appealing.<p>

I continued to follow Connor through the main streets, until we took a shortcut through a discrete alley, eventually coming out by a tavern where we stopped.

"We came all the way to Boston to drink some ale?" I asked jokingly.

He let out a short laugh. "I'm afraid not. We are meeting a contact." He walked up to the entrance, took a quick look around the street, and quietly opened the door. "Come on."

The ambience inside was still, save for the occasional clinking of glasses and soft murmurs of patrons. We went over to a secluded table at the far end of the inn where a man who looked like a cook sat slumped over his casket.

"Stephane," Connor addressed the man.

The man quickly looked up. "Connor! Good to see you!" He exclaimed, his accent strongly French; even more so than Mother's was. He noticed me and then said, "Is this the apprentice you spoke of?"

"Yes, this is Marie. Marie, meet Stephane. He is an Assassin and a good friend of mine."

"Pleasure to meet you," I replied.

"Likewise, my friend. Please, sit!" Said Stephane. "Anyway, I've located a man who is a messenger for the Templars. Their meeting place for exchanging letters isn't far from here. If you follow him during his next job, maybe you'll get some information on their activities."

Seemed simple enough. I'd mastered stealth and eavesdropping during my many months of training down at the Homestead. It was quite fun practicing on the residents; they didn't get too angry when they caught me the first few times after I'd explained what I was doing.

"Thank you, Stephane." Connor replied. "Marie, we should get going."

Within a few minutes of leaving the tavern, Connor and I reached the meeting place Stephane informed us about. The area was a small square among the back alleys of Boston, so secluded and noiseless it was eerie.

"There," Connor whispered, pointing out the shifty-looking man that appeared. "After he receives the letters, you must follow him to an isolated place and find a way to take them from him. When you are done, return to the tavern as quickly as possible."

He was about to turn and leave when I grabbed his arm. "What about you? Where are you going?"

"You need to do this on your own. Remember everything from your training and believe in yourself and you will be fine." He assured me, before disappearing around the corner.

_Ok, let's do this. _I peered around the edge of wall to see another man, dressed in smarter clothes, approach the other. Without exchanging any words, the affluent man slipped a letter into the hands of the shifty one, and then they both rushed off in opposite directions.

I followed the shifty man down a short alleyway that lead to the main street, taking cover behind the walls of buildings each time he looked back over his shoulder and using the crowds of the main street to remain inconspicuous. He eventually entered another deserted alleyway, so I seized the opportunity. I briskly but silently crept up to him, stabbing him from behind with my hidden blade and using my free hand to cover his mouth. Rummaging through his pockets, I came across the letter. A name was written on the back of the envelope: George Clark.

Before I had the chance to open it, I heard a shout behind me.

"Oi! What're you doin'?!" I looked behind to see that a bunch of guards had appeared out of nowhere.

_Shit._

I stuffed the letter into my trouser pocket and ran for it, scaling the side of the building ahead of me, narrowly missing gunshots from their muskets as I pulled myself up onto the roof. With all the training I received and my muscles pumped with a sudden rush, I navigated the rooftops dexterously, jumping large gaps between rooftops I previously thought impossible to manoeuvre. Once I figured I'd ran far enough to lose them, I leaped from the rooftop into a nearby tree, stopping for a few moments to catch my breath. My long hair had become tousled, strands of fiery red gone rogue from my ponytail. I cursed as I noticed a massive tear had formed in my trousers at the knee. Those were the only pair of trousers I owned that Mother had made for me. After giving my wild hair a quick tidy and making sure the letter was still in pocket, I climbed down and made haste back to the tavern, taking care to avoid any guards roaming the streets.

* * *

><p>"I've got the letter," I said as I re-joined Connor and Stephane at their table. "I got into a bit of trouble, but nothing I couldn't handle." I pulled the letter from my pocket and passed it to Connor.<p>

"What sort of trouble?" Connor asked.

"Guards saw me taking the letter from the body. I escaped them, but they're probably on high alert now."

"Let me get you a drink." Stephane offered.

"Thanks, Stephane." I took a seat next to Connor while he read the letter. He appeared increasingly apprehensive as he read through it, his face forming a solemn frown. "What is it?"

"It is a request for a man named George Clark to gather more slaves for some sort of operation. They are to be held at a fort by the coast in the frontier before they are shipped off somewhere, but it does not say where."

"Does it say who it is from?"

"Only the initials A. D." He passed the letter back to me. "I know of a fort on the coast. Let us begin there."

We finished our drinks and thanked Stephane before setting off back to our horses. While making our way through the crowds, though, a brunette-haired woman barged past me, and I felt something slide out of my pocket. Realising the bulge of my money pouch was gone, I spun round and grabbed her arm.

"Give it back." I demanded.

She froze for a few seconds, her azure eyes wide and fixed on mine. She looked young – her mid-twenties, perhaps – with the exception of the dark shadows under her eyes. Her dress was filthy, and the scarf over her shoulders was tattered.

"P-please, Miss, I'm so hungry!" She said weakly.

My anger faded, replaced by sympathy. Before I could say anything, Connor spoke.

"You live on the streets?" He asked.

"Yes, and I know I shouldn't steal. But it's either that or starve to death."

"How long have you been living like this?"

"About a month," she sighed. "It's even worse now that it's getting cold."

"There is a Homestead not far from here where you can easily find some work. Until then, I can pay for you to have a room at the local inn."

"R-really? Oh, thank you, Sir! I'll never forget this."

We paid for the woman to take a ship to the Homestead, and then we journeyed back home to prepare for tomorrow's mission.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: Apologies for taking so long to write each chapter. At the moment there isn't much free time for writing because of uni assignments :(<strong>

**This is my first fan fiction, so I'd be happy to hear any feedback you have to help me improve!**

**Oh and by the way, without giving away spoilers, Aveline will appear eventually :)**


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